Around 1,000 Scottish university staff could strike in the coming weeks in a bitter dispute over pay.
Members of the Unite union at five universities have said they are prepared to walk out.
It comes after representatives were unable to reach an agreement on the 2023/24 pay award with the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA).
Unite confirmed on Wednesday it had received industrial action mandates from members working at Glasgow, Dundee, Abertay, Edinburgh Napier and Strathclyde universities.
Technicians, cleaners, security officers and janitors are among the staff set to strike if no improved terms are offered in the dispute.
The union claims the vast majority of its members have had a 5-6% pay offer “imposed” on them, following what it termed as a “derisory” uplift of 3% for most of its members in 2022.
Unite says there was also a failure to reach agreement on what it described as the “sub inflation” 2022/23 award which resulted in members taking strike action last year.
The union has indicated it will next week announce the strike dates.
